Dan S

Yeah, but he'll be the coolest kid in (pre) school!

Beats me, I haven't hit that point yet!
Ralph Johnstone was one of the old South State Street tattooers and sign painters. He worked with Tatts Thomas a good bit, and I believe Nick has some of his old stuff there. I know he has a lot of Tatt's work, and other old-time stuff. Man, he's hog for that action, and he'll set you up righteous.

Beats me, I haven't hit that point yet!
Ralph Johnstone was one of the old South State Street tattooers and sign painters. He worked with Tatts Thomas a good bit, and I believe Nick has some of his old stuff there. I know he has a lot of Tatt's work, and other old-time stuff. Man, he's hog for that action, and he'll set you up righteous.

Beats me, I haven't hit that point yet!
Ralph Johnstone was one of the old South State Street tattooers and sign painters. He worked with Tatts Thomas a good bit, and I believe Nick has some of his old stuff there. I know he has a lot of Tatt's work, and other old-time stuff. Man, he's hog for that action, and he'll set you up righteous.

Beats me, I haven't hit that point yet!
Ralph Johnstone was one of the old South State Street tattooers and sign painters. He worked with Tatts Thomas a good bit, and I believe Nick has some of his old stuff there. I know he has a lot of Tatt's work, and other old-time stuff. Man, he's hog for that action, and he'll set you up righteous.

Beats me, I haven't hit that point yet!
Ralph Johnstone was one of the old South State Street tattooers and sign painters. He worked with Tatts Thomas a good bit, and I believe Nick has some of his old stuff there. I know he has a lot of Tatt's work, and other old-time stuff. Man, he's hog for that action, and he'll set you up righteous.

Pictures to follow but I had a great session with Thomas Hooper today and my sleeve is nearly lined. On my forearm there's a nautilus shell with an almost acanthus leaf-like pattern in it (Haeckel's Art Forms In Nature has a shell like this in it) amidst Japanese water with water cascading over it. On the inside of my arm is a Haeckel-inspired mandala and next session we'll cap off my shoulder with an atmospheric mandala with flames and clouds. Really kind of amazed at it and feel so fortunate to have a tattoo so beautiful.

booked my flight to nyc for april last night. i'm kind strapped for cash, but i think there's no way i can't be in nyc and not stop in at smith st. planning on getting a snake right beneath my arm pit and then doing stars and dots to finally finish up my damn right arm.

Man. Cody, just tell Nick the type of thing that floats yer boat, and show him how much room he has to work with-he'll go off on that. They have a ton of Sailor Jerry and Sailor Jerry type flash, but you might ax him to show you some of Ralph Johnstone's stuff-old school rules!

I have an appointment confirmed w/ Nick Colella March 2. (picking something off the wall, any suggestions ideas??) and we have plane tickets for San Francisco in June and I'm definitely getting tattooed out there as well. Pretty pumped about them both it will be my first time traveling for a tattoo. I think it will be a little weird as I have been super comfortable with my tattooer (Nathan Abney Nasty Nate Tattoo Artist). He's a real good friend and we bullshit the whole time, it keeps my mind off the pain.
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I love what they do at that shop, I am getting tattooed there as soon as I can
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just confirmed an appointment w/ Scott Sylvia as well Mon. July 1.

@Dan S might have an idea... I know he's spent a lot of time in there. Dan? What do you think?

I've talked to @Dan S and he is the man! Helped me out a lot. If you got any ideas on some killer flash I'll listen. Thats the one question I forgot to ask.

Yeah, our Dan S, he's aight.
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You know, if it were me, I might just go in and say "Hey Nick, what's really cool? What do you suggest?" and see what happens.
But I really like surprises...

duude! hook me up with some sweet ass tats!!!! i was thinking like a big tribal backpiece that forms a clown head!i'm down with the clown!!!
no really, congrats and good luck!!!

Brock, old son, I could intro you to some people up there...

Sweet!
But what's with the shabby jeans?

Just got home from my appointment with Marie Sena. She is an absolute gem.
There aren't enough nice things to say about her...
Still in a bit of a haze, I'll get a picture up as soon as I can get my head together enough to do it.

@Dan S you ain't gotta worry about that. I just hope to meet awesome people like you down the road.

@CultExciter, that's frkn OUTSTANDING!!! Best of to you, and remember us when we say "I knew him when"!

Watch yourself.
MMA is the flavor of the month now, so there are LOTS of semi-shady places that claim to teach it. That's not the real problem, the problem starts if students are "fresh-meat" for the other fighters training there, or if the instructors don't control the play.
What I tell anyone that's wanting to get into it is to get some grounding in the basic arts FIRST.
One of the big issues everyone has, especially in the big city, is price. I know of plenty of schools that charge $100, $150, $200 a month, for anywhere from 3, 45 minute sessions a week to 6 one hour sessions a week. I also know of good schools that charge $35-$50 dollars a month for 3-6 one hour sessions a week.
For that kind of money, you should be getting top-flight training from someone who has been there.
For someone just starting out, getting in the kind of shape you need to be in for serious training is gonna be an issue. I've had guys come in straight out of the Corps who couldn't cut our warm-up section.
Given all that, I'd humbly suggest that anyone really interested in serious training shoud start small. Probably the best thing, again, just in my little opinion, is to sign-up in a TRADITIONAL TKD school. Specifically, I would look for one that DOES NOT advertise "Olympic-style" training, and look for one that practices "Blue Cottage", or Chang Hong-style forms, or Hyung. These are the original patterns developed for, and practiced by, TKD, as developed and taught by General Choi, Hong Hi.
A year or two of old-school training in an art like this will give you a rock-solid core of basics to build on, taught in a scientific progression. you will get yourself in shape like you won't believe, and learn, even in a few years, things you can use right now. If you can hack it, stay for the full course...in a real, live, no bullshit dojang, expect to spend something like 5 years to learn enough for a black belt.
That isn't for everyone, so if you just want to get in shape, learn the basics, and move on, your next stop should be in a traditional Judo school. Again, I say traditional, because there are so many schools teaching Jiu-jitsu now that it's almost impossible for the average novice to sort the good from the bad. Seems like everyone and his uki are "Brazilian jiujitsu masters", or "Gracie-trained fighters", or some such. Learn the basics of actual Judo and you will find that Jiu-jitsu is nothing more than the actual, combat version of Judo. Learning the basics in a straight Judo school will give you an immense advantage when you go to train in Jiu-jitsu.
Spend a year or so training there and you will be bigtime ready to hit that MMA thing WAY yonder ahead of anyone else in your class.
Don't listen to all the bullshit about how "forms are just dancing" and etc. In a traditional school you will learn discipline, how to fight, how to train, and how to work with other students.
Okay-end of lecture. Sorry to run on, but man, I get people in almost every week asking me to "train me to fight in the next MMA tournement". I tell them all, sure, I'll train you, but you gotta learn all this other stuff too. "But when do I get to fight?" After you've trained for 6 months or a year, then you can spar with me. When I think you're safe-not a threat to yourself or others, then you can spar in class.
Amazing how few are willing to make that commitment, and how many think they can just wrestle for a few months and magically become fighters.
Enjoy, and if you ever want any assist in finding schools for a specific style or type of training, hit me up.

Watch yourself.
MMA is the flavor of the month now, so there are LOTS of semi-shady places that claim to teach it. That's not the real problem, the problem starts if students are "fresh-meat" for the other fighters training there, or if the instructors don't control the play.
What I tell anyone that's wanting to get into it is to get some grounding in the basic arts FIRST.
One of the big issues everyone has, especially in the big city, is price. I know of plenty of schools that charge $100, $150, $200 a month, for anywhere from 3, 45 minute sessions a week to 6 one hour sessions a week. I also know of good schools that charge $35-$50 dollars a month for 3-6 one hour sessions a week.
For that kind of money, you should be getting top-flight training from someone who has been there.
For someone just starting out, getting in the kind of shape you need to be in for serious training is gonna be an issue. I've had guys come in straight out of the Corps who couldn't cut our warm-up section.
Given all that, I'd humbly suggest that anyone really interested in serious training shoud start small. Probably the best thing, again, just in my little opinion, is to sign-up in a TRADITIONAL TKD school. Specifically, I would look for one that DOES NOT advertise "Olympic-style" training, and look for one that practices "Blue Cottage", or Chang Hong-style forms, or Hyung. These are the original patterns developed for, and practiced by, TKD, as developed and taught by General Choi, Hong Hi.
A year or two of old-school training in an art like this will give you a rock-solid core of basics to build on, taught in a scientific progression. you will get yourself in shape like you won't believe, and learn, even in a few years, things you can use right now. If you can hack it, stay for the full course...in a real, live, no bullshit dojang, expect to spend something like 5 years to learn enough for a black belt.
That isn't for everyone, so if you just want to get in shape, learn the basics, and move on, your next stop should be in a traditional Judo school. Again, I say traditional, because there are so many schools teaching Jiu-jitsu now that it's almost impossible for the average novice to sort the good from the bad. Seems like everyone and his uki are "Brazilian jiujitsu masters", or "Gracie-trained fighters", or some such. Learn the basics of actual Judo and you will find that Jiu-jitsu is nothing more than the actual, combat version of Judo. Learning the basics in a straight Judo school will give you an immense advantage when you go to train in Jiu-jitsu.
Spend a year or so training there and you will be bigtime ready to hit that MMA thing WAY yonder ahead of anyone else in your class.
Don't listen to all the bullshit about how "forms are just dancing" and etc. In a traditional school you will learn discipline, how to fight, how to train, and how to work with other students.
Okay-end of lecture. Sorry to run on, but man, I get people in almost every week asking me to "train me to fight in the next MMA tournement". I tell them all, sure, I'll train you, but you gotta learn all this other stuff too. "But when do I get to fight?" After you've trained for 6 months or a year, then you can spar with me. When I think you're safe-not a threat to yourself or others, then you can spar in class.
Amazing how few are willing to make that commitment, and how many think they can just wrestle for a few months and magically become fighters.
Enjoy, and if you ever want any assist in finding schools for a specific style or type of training, hit me up.

Just an update, my business launched and we're going strong. I won't be mentioning the name of my business because i don't feel its a good idea to use LST to advertise, so if you wan't details. Let me know!

Watch yourself.
MMA is the flavor of the month now, so there are LOTS of semi-shady places that claim to teach it. That's not the real problem, the problem starts if students are "fresh-meat" for the other fighters training there, or if the instructors don't control the play.
What I tell anyone that's wanting to get into it is to get some grounding in the basic arts FIRST.
One of the big issues everyone has, especially in the big city, is price. I know of plenty of schools that charge $100, $150, $200 a month, for anywhere from 3, 45 minute sessions a week to 6 one hour sessions a week. I also know of good schools that charge $35-$50 dollars a month for 3-6 one hour sessions a week.
For that kind of money, you should be getting top-flight training from someone who has been there.
For someone just starting out, getting in the kind of shape you need to be in for serious training is gonna be an issue. I've had guys come in straight out of the Corps who couldn't cut our warm-up section.
Given all that, I'd humbly suggest that anyone really interested in serious training shoud start small. Probably the best thing, again, just in my little opinion, is to sign-up in a TRADITIONAL TKD school. Specifically, I would look for one that DOES NOT advertise "Olympic-style" training, and look for one that practices "Blue Cottage", or Chang Hong-style forms, or Hyung. These are the original patterns developed for, and practiced by, TKD, as developed and taught by General Choi, Hong Hi.
A year or two of old-school training in an art like this will give you a rock-solid core of basics to build on, taught in a scientific progression. you will get yourself in shape like you won't believe, and learn, even in a few years, things you can use right now. If you can hack it, stay for the full course...in a real, live, no bullshit dojang, expect to spend something like 5 years to learn enough for a black belt.
That isn't for everyone, so if you just want to get in shape, learn the basics, and move on, your next stop should be in a traditional Judo school. Again, I say traditional, because there are so many schools teaching Jiu-jitsu now that it's almost impossible for the average novice to sort the good from the bad. Seems like everyone and his uki are "Brazilian jiujitsu masters", or "Gracie-trained fighters", or some such. Learn the basics of actual Judo and you will find that Jiu-jitsu is nothing more than the actual, combat version of Judo. Learning the basics in a straight Judo school will give you an immense advantage when you go to train in Jiu-jitsu.
Spend a year or so training there and you will be bigtime ready to hit that MMA thing WAY yonder ahead of anyone else in your class.
Don't listen to all the bullshit about how "forms are just dancing" and etc. In a traditional school you will learn discipline, how to fight, how to train, and how to work with other students.
Okay-end of lecture. Sorry to run on, but man, I get people in almost every week asking me to "train me to fight in the next MMA tournement". I tell them all, sure, I'll train you, but you gotta learn all this other stuff too. "But when do I get to fight?" After you've trained for 6 months or a year, then you can spar with me. When I think you're safe-not a threat to yourself or others, then you can spar in class.
Amazing how few are willing to make that commitment, and how many think they can just wrestle for a few months and magically become fighters.
Enjoy, and if you ever want any assist in finding schools for a specific style or type of training, hit me up.

Watch yourself.
MMA is the flavor of the month now, so there are LOTS of semi-shady places that claim to teach it. That's not the real problem, the problem starts if students are "fresh-meat" for the other fighters training there, or if the instructors don't control the play.
What I tell anyone that's wanting to get into it is to get some grounding in the basic arts FIRST.
One of the big issues everyone has, especially in the big city, is price. I know of plenty of schools that charge $100, $150, $200 a month, for anywhere from 3, 45 minute sessions a week to 6 one hour sessions a week. I also know of good schools that charge $35-$50 dollars a month for 3-6 one hour sessions a week.
For that kind of money, you should be getting top-flight training from someone who has been there.
For someone just starting out, getting in the kind of shape you need to be in for serious training is gonna be an issue. I've had guys come in straight out of the Corps who couldn't cut our warm-up section.
Given all that, I'd humbly suggest that anyone really interested in serious training shoud start small. Probably the best thing, again, just in my little opinion, is to sign-up in a TRADITIONAL TKD school. Specifically, I would look for one that DOES NOT advertise "Olympic-style" training, and look for one that practices "Blue Cottage", or Chang Hong-style forms, or Hyung. These are the original patterns developed for, and practiced by, TKD, as developed and taught by General Choi, Hong Hi.
A year or two of old-school training in an art like this will give you a rock-solid core of basics to build on, taught in a scientific progression. you will get yourself in shape like you won't believe, and learn, even in a few years, things you can use right now. If you can hack it, stay for the full course...in a real, live, no bullshit dojang, expect to spend something like 5 years to learn enough for a black belt.
That isn't for everyone, so if you just want to get in shape, learn the basics, and move on, your next stop should be in a traditional Judo school. Again, I say traditional, because there are so many schools teaching Jiu-jitsu now that it's almost impossible for the average novice to sort the good from the bad. Seems like everyone and his uki are "Brazilian jiujitsu masters", or "Gracie-trained fighters", or some such. Learn the basics of actual Judo and you will find that Jiu-jitsu is nothing more than the actual, combat version of Judo. Learning the basics in a straight Judo school will give you an immense advantage when you go to train in Jiu-jitsu.
Spend a year or so training there and you will be bigtime ready to hit that MMA thing WAY yonder ahead of anyone else in your class.
Don't listen to all the bullshit about how "forms are just dancing" and etc. In a traditional school you will learn discipline, how to fight, how to train, and how to work with other students.
Okay-end of lecture. Sorry to run on, but man, I get people in almost every week asking me to "train me to fight in the next MMA tournement". I tell them all, sure, I'll train you, but you gotta learn all this other stuff too. "But when do I get to fight?" After you've trained for 6 months or a year, then you can spar with me. When I think you're safe-not a threat to yourself or others, then you can spar in class.
Amazing how few are willing to make that commitment, and how many think they can just wrestle for a few months and magically become fighters.
Enjoy, and if you ever want any assist in finding schools for a specific style or type of training, hit me up.

i officially started mma training tonight. i got a groupon for a month, which only cost me $50 for a combo package of striking and grappling training. so damn excited i finally bit the bullet. the training is kind of expensive moving forward, but i'm pretty sure i'm going to continue with it.